Acoustic guitars are constructed so as to amplify the sound wave produced by the vibration of the strings, via a resonance body having a sound board. The sound wave created by the vibrating strings is introduced into the resonance body through the bridge provided on the sound board. Inside the resonance body, the sound wave is resounded and amplified within the resonance body.
Acoustic guitars typically include a round sound hole located in the sound board at a centered position in the waist and upper bout of the guitar body and underneath the strings of the instrument. The present invention has shown that this is not the optimum location for the sound hole in that the instrument is unable to deliver the clean, brilliant sound for the body sound box that is put into it in the form of vibration tones put in action by the bridge.
The input sound to the guitar body sound box can be heard by laying one""s ear on the guitar sound board near the bridge. When this is done, one hears the clean, brilliant input sound. However, without one""s ear on the guitar sound board, the normally heard output sound of the guitar is heard as a muddy sound, when compared to the input sound heard with the ear against the guitar.
To improve the sound quality of the guitar, attempts have been made to rearrange the sound hole in particular locations. An attempt has also been made to have a plurality of sound holes strategically located on the face of the guitar. Patents which disclose an irregular location of the sound hole, and are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, include:
The present invention is an improvement over the above-mentioned prior art in that it more effectively utilizes as much of the sound board as possible by positioning a single sound hole, or zone, in a specific location to optimize the vibration of the sound board.
The art referred to and/or described above is not intended to constitute an admission that any patent, publication or other information referred to herein is xe2x80x9cprior artxe2x80x9d with respect to this invention. In addition, this section should not be construed to mean that a search has been made or that no other pertinent information as defined in 37 C.F.R. xc2xa71.56(a) exists.
In accordance with the invention, a single sound hole, or zone, is located on the face of the sound board immediately adjacent to the upper side panel of the guitar extending approximately from the upper end of the bridge to the upper waist portion. Separately or in combination with the novel positioning of the sound hole, a sound board comprising one or more, most preferably no more than two, layers of wood glued together, wherein the grain direction of the layers are perpendicularly situated.
The practice of the present invention achieves several objectives and advantages. The objectives and advantages are: a guitar of improved design which makes the normally heard out-out sound produced by the guitar for normal listening conditions more like that which is heard with one""s ear against the guitar. The present invention more effectively utilizes as much of the effective part of the sound board as possible by positioning a single sound hole, or a plurality of holes, in a specific location, or zone, to optimize the vibration of the sound board.